Andrew Lincoln 'to leave' The Walking Dead after season nine

Andrew Lincoln is set to leave The Walking Dead in series nine.

The British actor, who has played the show’s protagonist Rick Grimes since 2010, will appear in ‘half a dozen’ episodes of the next series before bowing out, according to Collider.

The report suggests that AMC is to offer ‘substantial compensation’ to Norman Reedus, who plays Daryl Dixon, to stay on and become the series lead.

It’s not known what fate will befall Lincoln’s character, whether he’ll be killed off in customarily gruesome fashion, or head off into the distance.

Sources close to the show have also confirmed Lincoln’s exit to The Wrap and Comicbook.com, though so far AMC has not commented on the chatter.

Whatever the case, the show is in need of a shake-up.

The eighth series received its lowest ratings since season one, and is thought to have lost a third of its young adult audience.

The audience for the season eight mid-season premiere in April was its lowest ever, while the finale was the series’ lowest since season two.

Spoilers ahead…

Fans have begun to turn their back on the show following the deaths of popular characters like Glenn and Abraham at the beginning of season seven, and then Rick’s son Carl, played by Chandler Riggs, in season eight.

Lincoln, Reedus, Lauren Cohan, and Danai Gurira are all set to return for series nine, which is currently in production.

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